


And Suddenly, I See It At A Glance

by SelfTitledWorldWonder



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Anastasia (1997) References, F/M, Inspired by Anastasia (1997), Steve Harrington Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 14:44:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13237926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SelfTitledWorldWonder/pseuds/SelfTitledWorldWonder
Summary: “Ah,” Dustin had an epiphany, and suddenly began grinning at Steve, clearly amused.  “An unspoken attraction.”Steve’s head snapped up at record speed.  “Attraction?  To that skinny little brat?  Have you lost your mind?”  Steve realises - with Dustin's help - that yes, he does have feelings for Y/N.Requested by anon, from the Anastasia prompt list (located on my tumblr 'daryldamnson'):  "❛ ah, an unspoken attraction. ❜ ❛ attraction? to that skinny little brat? have you lost your mind? ❜ STEVE STEVE STEVE STEVE STEVE !!!! IN TOTAL DENIAL. MAYBE A LOVE/HATE THING"





	And Suddenly, I See It At A Glance

**Author's Note:**

> Just for reference, the title is based on a line from a song in Anastasia.  I chose it bc it’s the scene where Anya and Dimitri dance and essentially fall in love.

“God, she’s so _frustrating!_ ”

Dustin watched as Steve Harrington, his fairly newly-appointed role model, paced back and forth in front of him, both hands coming up to pull at his perfectly styled hair.

“Seriously, who the hell does she think she is?  I was a shoe-in for that job.  A shoe-in!  And then she just rocks up and steals it right from under me!  What does she even need a damn job for?  Her parents are loaded!”

Dustin’s eyebrows raise as he shifts on the sofa, flicking open a new comic as he refrains from pointing out that Steve’s parents were also financially sound.  He admired Steve greatly, it was clear to anyone who ever saw them interact, but he was sick to death of him going on and on _and on_ about you.  It was like every day he had a new complaint queued up and ready to rant about.  Dustin just couldn’t understand why, if he hated you so much, he found it necessary to talk about you so goddamn much.

“I mean, _come on_ , she thinks she can just stroll in with her hair looking all nice and some new heels and that _goddamn smile_ and sweet-talk her way into a job?  No.  I mean, yeah, whatever, she looked great – good – fine – I mean – I don’t know, but that doesn’t mean she can just –”

“Wait, you think Y/N looked…  Great?”

“Well, no, I mean…  I guess, but not, like, in a good way…”

There’s a beat of silence as the boys look at each other, both pulling a face at how incredibly _stupid_ Steve sounded.

“Look, shithead,” Steve started, moving to sit on the sofa.  “She’s just…  I don’t know.  Frustrating.”

“ **Ah** ,” Dustin had an epiphany, and suddenly began grinning at Steve, clearly amused.  “ **An unspoken attraction**.”

Steve’s head snapped up at record speed.  “ **Attraction?  To that skinny little brat? _Have you lost your mind?_** ”

“No.  But clearly you have; what happened to all that ‘don’t fall in love, she’ll only break your heart’ crap you were spewing a few months ago?”

“I’m not in love!  I…She…”  Steve shook his head desperately, one hand reaching up to tug at his hair once more.  “She’s _annoying_.  She’s scathingly sarcastic.  And she always insults me.  Sometimes, at first, I don’t even _notice_ that she’s insulted me, and then she gives me that ridiculous grin – the one that makes her eyes crease in the corner and that dimple show in her chin – and suddenly I just _know_ that I’m supposed to be offended.  But then other times she just strikes up conversation like, I don’t know, like we’re the best of friends.  It gives me whiplash.  It’s so irritating – _she’s_ so irritating!”

At some point during his rant Steve had stood up from the sofa and started pacing anxiously once more.

Dustin, however, seemed much more at ease as he chuckled, twisting so he can put his feet up on the sofa.

“Dude,” the younger boy starts, finally closing his comic and investing his full attention in the conversation, “you’re so gone for this girl, it’s hilarious.  How did I not see this before?”

“I’m not – I don’t – No!” Dustin laughs once more as Steve splutters out a half-formed denial.  “Shut up, dickhead, I’m thinking!”

Moving back to sit down, Steve absentmindedly swats Dustin’s feet off the sofa and puts his head in his hands as he leans his elbows against his knees.  Sensing that this moment was crucial, the younger boy quietens and simply waits.

Though his body was motionless, Steve felt as if he was on a rollercoaster.  Conflicting thoughts flew around his brain at high speeds – _did_ he like Y/N?  And if he did, when had _that_ happened?  Could you like someone and hate them at the same time?  That had to be some idiotic, masochistic shit right there.  Especially since there was no way _she_ liked _him_.

God, how had he gotten himself in this position again?  Why was he always falling for girls who didn’t reciprocate his feelings?

Was that what he was doing – falling for Y/N?

He had to admit she was attractive.   _Gorgeous_ , really.  And he did admire her sharp tongue – even if most of the time it was used against him.  She was hilariously witty; he couldn’t deny that.  And there had been those times, rare as they may be, when she was nice – sweet, even – and _good lord_ if he hadn’t almost melted that time she’d defended him against Billy (he was secure enough in his own masculinity that it didn’t even embarrass him like Billy insinuated it should).

But what did any of that mean?  So what if he thought she was beautiful?  So what if she had the brightest smile he’d ever seen?  So what if she made him laugh until he cried with her witty one-liners?  So what?  That just meant…  Well…  It meant…

“ _Fuck…_ ”

Steve heaved out a sigh much too world-weary for someone his age as he accepted the realisation that Dustin was one hundred percent correct.

“It’s alright, Steve; we all have our off days.  Remember that time I had a pet Demodog and it ate my mom’s cat?  Not my brightest hour, but we got through it.  You’ll be fine.”

Steve didn’t seem to find this pep talk as uplifting as Dustin did if the cushion thrown at the curly-haired boy’s face was anything to go by.

**Author's Note:**

> I do take requests, for both headcanons and imagines/oneshots over on my tumblr (daryldamnson), but it's fine if anyone wants to send them in here too.
> 
> Feel free to send in a prompt/idea for the next part of this - in which the reader figures out her own feelings towards Steve - or the part after - which is going to include them getting together and is essentially just going to be fluff central.


End file.
